Singer Frank Ocean Comes Out

Frank Ocean, the 24-year-old singer of popular song "Novacane" and member of hip-hop crew Odd Future, publicly came out of the closet in an open letter he posted to his blog Monday.

Ocean released the letter, originally meant to be part of the liner notes for his forthcoming debut album Channel Orange, as rumors about his sexuality began to swirl based on the lyrical content of some leaked songs.

"I feel like a free man," Ocean wrote in the letter, after going into detail about how he fell in love with a man at age 19. "On the days we were together, time would glide.... By the time I realized I was in love, it was malignant. It was hopeless. There was no escaping, no negotiating with the feeling. No choice. It was my first love, it changed my life."

In a Global Grind post titled "The Courage of Frank Ocean Just Changed the Game!" Russell Simmons praised Ocean's decision to go public and said he was "profoundly moved"; Tyler, the Creator — Ocean's Odd Future colleague — also has Tweeted support.